Puppy Education 101

We did it! Hubby and I brought home our adorable puppy on Friday morning. He is a very sweet and social boy. He never really seemed scared, and didn't give us a hard time overnight his first night. He took to Hubby and me immediately, and never wants to leave our sides. Literally.

I work as an early childhood special education teacher. Much of what I do seems to apply to puppy education as well. I'm NOT saying my children are like dogs, don't get me wrong! I'm just saying that the manner in which I teach my three and four year-olds is similar to how I go about teaching my puppy. Here are some examples:

1. Replacement Activities- When my children do something wrong, I don't just tell them no, I give them something to do instead of the wrong or harmful activity. For example, if a child grabs a toy from a peer, I give them the correct tools to use to obtain that toy (i.e. asking for the toy with words). I am constantly finding replacement activities for my pup. When he starts to bite on something of mine, I tell him no and give him his bone or chew toy instead.

2. Distractibility- Often my students are easily distracted and cannot maintain attention for long periods of time. This has been the case with puppy, especially when it comes to eating. He will take some food in his mouth and carry it over to a rug near our kitchen. He likes to chew it over there, and then walk back towards his bowl. But on his way to the bowl, he continues to get very distracted. I think he forgets what he was supposed to be doing. I deal with this constantly with my kids! Must draw their attention back to the task at hand.

3. Positive Reinforcement- This one is a no brainer. All day long I reward my children for doing positive things. Puppy is no different. I think my dog responds best to hugs and kisses. He didn't want the treats we offered him! But he loves to be scooped up and loved.

4. Potty Training- Potty-training is (unfortunately) often part of my j

ob description. I put my students on a schedule where I take them to the potty every so often to try to catch successes. Same with pup! Hubby and I have been taking him almost every hour to prevent accidents. He is doing a great job!

I'm sure there are more similarities, but that's all for now. I leave you with a pic of the cutest puppy EVER. And no, he's not a stuffed animal.